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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Loyalties remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a stage play where people stand in rooms and get very angry in quiet, polite voices, you might dig Loyalties. It’s definitely not for anyone who needs a car chase or a plot that moves faster than a Victorian snail. It’s for the folks who like watching rich people ruin their own lives over a thousand pounds.
The whole thing kicks off with a theft. A rich guest, de Levis, gets his wallet lightened. The way he reacts is… well, it’s not very British, according to the rest of the house guests. He actually expects people to be held accountable for their actions! The scandal of it all.
Basil Rathbone shows up, and honestly, the movie breathes a little easier whenever he’s on screen. He’s got that sharp, cutting way of talking that makes everyone else look like they’re stumbling through their lines. There’s a scene where the accusation finally lands and the room goes so quiet you can hear the dust settling on the curtains. It’s a great bit of tension, even if the staging feels a bit cramped.
The pacing is a bit of a weird one. Some parts drag on like a long lunch, while others jump right into the next shouting match. It’s not quite as smooth as The Milky Way, but it has a different kind of bite. It’s less about comedy and more about how much misery a person can hide behind a tuxedo.
There’s this one bit where two guys are debating honor, and it lasts forever. You can almost see the director thinking, "Keep it going, keep it going," but it just loses its steam. Still, there’s something undeniably compelling about watching a man like Dancy try to lie his way out of a corner while everyone politely ignores the fact that he’s sweating through his shirt.
It feels a bit like a relic, sure. But there’s a coldness to it that hits differently than, say, the lighter tone of Spring Is Here. It’s not trying to be charming. It’s trying to show you how brittle the upper class can be when you poke them in the right spot. 💸
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a solid look at how people turn on each other the second money gets involved. If you’re in the mood for something grumpy and old-fashioned, put it on. Just don't expect a happy ending. 🎩
IMDb —
1930
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